Capt (retired) Usman assumes charge of DG PFA

By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE: The newly-appointed Director General (DG) of Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Captain (retired) Muhammad Usman on Monday assumed official responsibilities by formally taking the charge of the post.
The heads of PFA all wings have briefed the DG regarding their wings activities. The DG has directed all wings to prepare a comprehensive work plan for improving the progress of the authority.
He said that PFA will facilitate food business operators at every platform by using the information technology and to expand the circle of its licensing. PFA will also enlarge the facility of food testing laboratory and medical screening across Punjab alongside of operations.
He directed operation teams to complete the task of collecting the samples of water filtration plants within seven days. He said that the sampling campaign for water filtration plants should be completed on the first priority as per the orders of Apex Court.
Usman further said that according to the National Nutrition Survey, 44 per cent children and 60 per cent women are suffering from nutritional issues in Punjab. He said that PFA would be implemented the food fortification programs on fast track in collaboration with all concerned departments. He vowed that PFA will control the food-related issues and eliminate the adulteration mafia from Punjab as soon. Punjab Food Authority will work under the zero-tolerance policy against violators, he added.

PFA seals nine fat-rendering units in crackdown

The provincial food regulatory body carried out a province-wide crackdown and sealed nine fat rendering units for extracting oil from animal wastes and fats, on Monday, told Director General PFA Capt (R) Muhammad Usman.
According to details, PFA enforcement teams sealed two each in Gujranwala and Faisalabad, three units in Lahore and one each in Multan and Rawalpindi. In Lahore, illegal rendering units were functional in the densely populated area of Yousaf Nagar and Talat Park. The oil was being prepared from animal wastes and offal which had collected on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha.
On the directions of Director General PFA Capt (R) Muhammad Usman, food safety teams have raided on various sites in different cities of Punjab in order to control the sale of harmful oil which is prepared from animal filth.
DG said that oil and ghee were being refilled in the different brands of cooking oil which had to supply on local shops and restaurants. He said that authorized units can sell oil only to Bio Diesel Companies. Such oil becomes a cause of health diseases, he said and adding that PFA would not sit silently till the elimination of such characters and pushes them to corner in order to avoid any health risk in future.